Chinese Dictionary

Usage of the character 挑

to raise
to dig up
to poke
to prick
to incite
to stir up

to carry on a shoulder pole
to choose
to pick
to nitpick

(architecture) high-ceilinged
to raise (a ceiling) to a height of
ceiling height

to incite
to provoke
to tease

to pick
to choose
to fight a duel
Taiwan pr. (dāntiāo)

to carp
nitpicking
petty criticism

to be picky about food

to choose
to select

to pick and choose
to select

to provoke
to entice
to lure
to tantalize
to tease
to titillate

porter

to incite disharmony
to instigate

to illuminate
to open up (a topic)

to provoke
to stir up
to incite

slender

to provoke; provocation

to challenge
challenge

to sow discord

to entice
to arouse
to provoke

to take the lead
to be first to (do sth)
to pioneer

carrying pole and its load

eaves

highlight (hair)
partial hair dye

picky
fussy

picky about food

cross-stitch (embroidery)

to incite
to stir up
to instigate

to light a lamp
to raise a lantern

erhua variant of 挑頭／挑头 (tiǎotóu)

(coll.) to quit one's job in disgust

provocative
tantalizing
titillating

to play a leading role
to bear a heavy responsibility

fascia
eaves board

(fig.) to get cross-eyed
to be bewildered

tiāoshāngōng

laborers who carry cargo up and down the mountains on shoulder poles

to nitpick
petty criticism
to nag

challenger

yíngjiētiǎozhàn

to meet a challenge

excellent in every respect
flawless

qiāntiāowànxuǎn

to select very carefully

Tiǎozhànzhě Hào

Space Shuttle Challenger

bǎilǐtiāoyī

one in a hundred
cream of the crop

tiǎodēngbōhuǒ

to sow discord
to provoke

tiāomáotīcì

to find fault
to carp
nitpicking

excellent in every respect
flawless

tiāosānjiǎnsì

to be picky
to be choosy

jīngtiāoxìxuǎn

to select very carefully

mùtiǎoxīnzhāo

the eye incites, the heart invites (idiom); flirtatious
making eyes at sb

tiǎosānwōsì

to sow discord everywhere

tiǎobōshìfēi

to incite a quarrel (idiom); to sow discord between people
to tell tales
to make mischief

tiǎodēngyèzhàn

to raise a lantern and fight at night (idiom); fig. to work into the night
to burn the midnight oil

xiánféitiāoshòu

to choose sth over another to suit one's own convenience

tiāoféixiánshòu

to choose sth over another to suit one's own convenience

tiǎobōlíjiàn

to sow dissension (idiom); to drive a wedge between

tiāomáotīcìr

挑毛剔刺儿

[挑毛剔刺兒]

erhua variant of 挑毛剔刺 (tiāomáotīcì)

shìzitiāoruǎndeniē

柿子挑软的捏

[柿子挑軟的捏]

lit. it's the soft persimmons that people choose to squeeze (idiom)
fig. it's the weak (i.e. 軟柿子／软柿子 (ruǎnshìzi)) who get picked on
bullies pick soft targets

jīdànlitiāogǔtou

鸡蛋里挑骨头

[雞蛋裡挑骨頭]

to look for bones in an egg
to find fault
to nitpick (idiom)

héngtiāobízishùtiāoyǎn

横挑鼻子竖挑眼

[橫挑鼻子豎挑眼]

to pick on sth incessantly (idiom)
to criticize right and left

tìtóutiāoziyītóurè

剃头挑子一头热

[剃頭挑子一頭熱]

lit. only one end of the barber's pole is hot (idiom)
fig. one-sided enthusiasm
one party is interested, but the other, not so much
(Note: In former days, street barbers carried their equipment on a pole, with tools and a stool at one end and a brazier at the other.)